


Black and White, Now with Gold

by AKAuthor



Series: Mine [4]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bartender! Daryl, M/M, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-04-30 12:59:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5164736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKAuthor/pseuds/AKAuthor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soulmate AU. The day you meet your soulmate, their name appears on your body. Rick can't seem to find his.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Black and White, Now with Gold

**Author's Note:**

> This was a request from crazstiz, so thank you very much for the brilliant idea! I hope to have done it justice.

Everyday Rick woke with the same sense of anticipation, wondering if today was _the day_.

The day a name would write itself into his skin somewhere on his body.

 

Your soulmate’s name would appear the day before you would meet them, and as chaotic as fate typically is, they were always going to be a stranger you had never met and don’t know the name of- as such, you spend most of the day aimlessly asked people’s names and them obligingly telling you, a look of knowing in their eyes.

A lovely May morning began with the neighbour’s dog wailing at what Rick presumed to be the postman, but the collie named Tara had a loud tendency to bark at almost anything. Groaning and rolling over into the pillow with the hopes of either smothering himself or falling back to sleep, Rick paid no attention to the black writing inking over his ring finger on his left hand.

Half an hour later, and Tara had clearly been taken for a run, because no sound came through the cracked window, Rick forced himself to his feet and made his way to the bathroom. Scrubbing at his sleepy eyes and bumping the tap on, the twenty-six year old thought about what to do with his day, given that he had a day off.

He need to go shopping, and look for a birthday present for Shane. He need new pairs of socks, and he rather fancied a caramel flat white from Starbucks. Rick reached for the handle to turn the shower on, pipes pretesting in the wall in front of him as he did so, the young adult paused as a black blur came with his motion.

Bringing his hand to his face, Rick studied his left ring finger. A straight lined, tall and shabby hand writing was scrawled down the length of his finger in black ink.

_Daryl Dixon_

 

Shock coloured his face and an elated smile pulled at Rick’s mouth. His heart jumped in his chest, beating at a million beats per minute. His hands were shaking and his head felt spacy with amazement.

_Daryl Dixon_

 

Deciding to go about his day as he planned, Rick went about doing his shopping, paying attention to every name he heard, and making a point to introduce himself, hoping the person he was speaking to would trade his name for theirs.

At Starbucks Rick purchased his caramel flat white, where the barista was named Maggie and gave him a knowing look when he asked for the name of the male worker alongside her. She shook her short brown hair and told him that “no, his name is Gareth.”

In the mall, Rick picked up an Xbox game with plenty of gun on the cover for Shane’s birthday, and he threw all the groceries he supposed he would need for the week, along with some things on special and some treats for himself, all the while making conversations left right and centre, looking for a person named Daryl Dixon.

 

Come five thirty, and the day was right gone. He’d wandered around town, speaking his throat raw in the hopes of meeting his soulmate. Rick’s dog, poor Judith who was little more than a puppy with too large feet was tuckered out on his bed after crossing the town three times. And yet, no sign of Daryl Dixon.

 

By seven thirty, Rick was sitting on a stool at a pub he never visits on the outskirts of town, nursing a drink that burned his throat and he regretted ordering. For three hours Rick spoke to anyone who would listen, basic conversation, still doing his best to strain out the name he wanted to hear.

Daryl Dixon.

With no luck, and sharp rocks sitting in his stomach, either due to the alcohol or sadness, Rick downed another glass and prepared himself to stand as the clock ticked eleven forty-two. The bartender, a man with dark hair that brushed his shoulders, blue eyes, and a scruffy way about him, came and offered a refill.

“No thanks,” Rick muttered, not looking at the man’s deep blue eyes.

 

“Hey man, you’ve had quite a bit, ya shouldn’t be driving,” the bartender said in a rough drawl. Rick snorted and ran a hand through his hair, writing on his finger tingling. “Ya look like shit. I’m not a therapist or whatever, but what’s happened?”

 

“I was meant to meet my soulmate today and…” Rick trailed off, burning in his stomach increasing.

 

“Ya didn’t find them?”

 

“No.”

 

“Well, ya not the first person t’ come in here with the same thing. Hell, just this week we’ve seen five soulmates meet,” the bartender muttered.

 

“Here? They met here?”

 

“Yeah. Hardly romantic, but…” the man shrugged. Rick blinked, and felt a surge of hope. He stood and gathered his bearings, keys jingling in one hand.

 

“Thanks… I never got your name…” Rick said, heart thumping.

 

“Daryl Dixon,” the bartender replied gruffly, taking his glass and flashing a glimpse of bone white words on his left ring finger, dazedly drifting down the finger in a very familiar scrawl. Rick restrained himself from hopping the bar, and instead stared intently at his soulmate.

 

“Rick Grimes,” he said. Daryl’s head shot up and their eyes locked. Rick shook from head to toe, and reached out a hand over the counter as Daryl came as close as possible with the bar in the way. Grasping the man’s hand in his, black letters met white, and they stayed that way for the rest of the night.

 

A year later, and two golden bands shone in unison, positioned just above the words. Rick Grimes had found his _Daryl Dixon_.


End file.
